Wike Backs ₦39bn ICC Upgrade, Says Nigeria Deserves the Best
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has defended the controversial ₦39 billion renovation of the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, insisting the extensive upgrade was necessary and befitting of Nigeria’s image as the “Giant of Africa.”
Wike made the remarks on Friday during the commissioning of the newly constructed Left-Hand Service Carriageway in Abuja. Responding to public criticism over the cost and scale of the renovation, he asserted that aside from the block structure, “everything else was changed” in the facility.
“The only thing left untouched in the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre is the block work. Everything else was changed,” Wike stated.
The minister also addressed backlash over the renaming of the ICC after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, emphasizing that such practices were not unusual in Nigeria.
“Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport was not built by Azikiwe. Moshood Abiola Stadium was not built by Abiola,” he noted.
Wike further cited inflation and the depreciation of the naira as justification for the project’s ₦39 billion price tag, comparing it to the original ₦240 million cost of construction in 1991.
“We have taste. We want the best for the country, and the president has delivered the best,” he declared.
Affirming his unwavering support for President Tinubu, Wike said:
“If you failed to defend your boss when you had the chance, that’s your problem. I have done it, and I have no regrets.”
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